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CERYLIDAE

Specialty Definition: Water kingfisher

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Water Kingfishers
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Coraciiformes Family: Cerylidae
Genera
Megaceryle Ceryle Chloroceryle

The water kingfishers or Cerylidae are one of the three families of bird in the kingfisher group, and are also known as the belted kingfishers or cerylid kingfishers.

There are 9 species in three genera:

• The 4 green kingfishers (Megaceryle) have a wide distribution in Africa, Asia and America. The Belted Kingfisher, M. alcyon, is the only kingfisher that is widespread in North America, though two of the tropical American species range as far noth as Texas and Arizona.
  • Giant Kingfisher, Megaceryle maxima
  • Crested Kingfisher, Megaceryle lugubris
  • Belted Kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon
  • Ringed Kingfisher, Megaceryle torquata
• The Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis), is widespread in the tropical regions of the Old World.
• The 4 crested kingfishers (Chloroceryle) of tropical America.
  • Amazon Kingfisher, Chloroceryle amazona
  • Green Kingfisher, Chloroceryle americana
  • Green-and-rufous Kingfisher, Chloroceryle inda
  • American Pygmy Kingfisher, Chloroceryle aenea

    Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Water kingfisher."

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